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My 1st Appointment with Dr. Berry

Today I had my first visit with Dr. Berry at the Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic. I schedule my appointment back in December and my original appointment was scheduled for the end of July, but I got a call two weeks ago asking if I was able to take an earlier appointment. I said – “Yes!”

I have heard so many wonderful things about Dr. Berry and I was really looking forward to the appointment. I have two friends who have seen her before and they were both very complimentary. I was told to expect her to spend an hour with me – an hour!

The pre-appointment paperwork was extensive, but it was very thorough.

My appointment was on May 20th at 8:30am and I was asked to arrive 1 hour before my appointment time. I wasnt thrilled about having to leave the house at 6:30 am, but I was definitely ready to try a new doctor!

Dr. Berry will have been the 5th doctor I have seen in 4 years. I have really struggled to find good medical care. It seems like most doctors just want to push you through the door and collect your co-pay without even pretending to listen to what you have to say. At least this has been my experience.

The check-in process went smoothly and Dr. Berry was in my room and chatting with me by 8:45. She spent a good 45 minutes listening to my medical complaints and reviewing my new patient paperwork with me.

We talked about my foot pain, my thyroid symptoms, my fatigue, my hip and back pain, and my stomach issues. I left with a few tentative diagnoses, a treatment plan, orders for blood work and x-rays, and a prescription for physical therapy on my back and hips. The diagnoses and treatments are preliminary pending labs and x-rays.

Feet – probably Plantar Fasciitis. Probably related to my previous pregnancy. Massage every morning with a frozen water bottle and do foot stretches twice a day. Make sure to wear shoes with good arch support.

Back and Hips – probably related (at least in part) to my previous pregnancy. Possible scoliosis. Hips and back are not lined up as they should be. This could also be causing my knee pain.

Stomach – constipation and possible ovarian cyst. Also, possible lack of nutrient absorption. Treat with a diet of 25 grams of fiber per day (or Metamucil) and a daily dost of Miralax. Follow up with ultrasound via Dr. Berry’s office or my OB’s office within 48 hours of severe pain incident.

Thyroid – Possible lack of absorption. Stop taking generic and take name brand Synthroid. This will make sure I am getting a consistent dose of medication. Scheduled ultrasound of thyroid to compare size to 2013 ultrasound since the thyroid was found to be enlarged from manual exam.

I left Dr. Berry’s exam room and immediately went to the lab for blood draws. They took so many vials of blood! Then I had to leave a urine sample. After theses samples were collected I walked to radiology, where they took several x-rays of my hips and back.

My last stop of the day was to stop at the scheduling desk to schedule my thyroid ultrasound (they couldnt get me in right away) and the schedule my follow up appointment and another set of lab work to be taken a few days before my next appointment.

I go back again in 3 months.

Overall I was highly satisfied with my visit to Dr. Berry. She listened and had good advice and genuinely seemed concerned for my welfare. I asked her about becoming my general practitioner and she said that she would be glad to, but that she would not prescribe the phentermine I am currently taking for weight loss. I am near enough to my goal that I think that is fine. I will continue to see the doctor prescribing the phentermine until I reach my goal and then move all my medical care to Dr. Berry. I hope to have reached my goal by the end of summer.

Next week I will call my insurance and find out what to do, as next steps, to follow up on my prescription for physical therapy.